Today's Sports Headlines

Including: Dave Feschuk: The Maple Leafs won’t find a saviour in free agency. To win, the stars have to buy in — like Steve Yzerman did [The Star]( Sports Headlines OPINION [Dave Feschuk: The Maple Leafs won’t find a saviour in free agency. To win, the stars have to buy in — like Steve Yzerman did]( It wouldn’t be an easy sell, but Scotty Bowman’s experience with the Red Wings, detailed in a new book on the coaching legend by Ken Dryden, translates to the Leafs’ current situation on many levels, Dave Feschuk writes. ANALYSIS [NHL free agency was never like this. A lot of good players will pay a price]( An unusually high number of buyouts sets the tone for Friday at noon, when the free-agent market will be overflowing with talent while clubs hit hard by the pandemic are motivated to wait for bargains. [Kyle Dubas, the youngest GM in the NHL, adapts with the times]( Dubas seems like he’s had his Come To Darcy Tucker moment, extolling the virtues of physical play and being a team that’s hard to play against. ANALYSIS [Ranking the top 25 NHL free agents. Anyone need a goalie?]( This off-season’s crop of free agents includes a No. 1 defenceman and several front-line wingers, mixed in with puck-moving defenceman and the standard depth forwards and defenceman. [Jimmy Butler and the Heat know history isn’t on their side against the Lakers. They just don’t care]( Down 3-1 heading into Game 5 of the NBA Finals against L.A., Miami’s Jimmy Butler says: “It’s not win or go home. It’s win or win. That’s how we think about it.” OPINION [Rosie DiManno: The Blue Jays need Trevor Bauer, baseball’s outrage king. It’s a pitch worth making on so many levels]( Perhaps best remembered by Jays fans for a drone-related injury in the 2016 ALCS, Bauer is the NL Cy Young favourite and heading for free agency. The wannabe “face of baseball” (his words) prefers one-year deals, and would give the Jays roster the shakeup it needs. When the market opens, Ross Atkins should take his best shot, Rosie DiManno writes. [Yankees force Game 5 against Rays]( [Bang! Bang! Bad news for Astros haters. Houston's back in the NLCS]( [D’Arnaud’s ‘old-school hack’ helps Braves complete sweep]( Travis D’Arnaud was 6 for 10 with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs — the most by a catcher in a division series. [Unlikely French Open women's final set: Kenin vs. Swiatek]( ANALYSIS [The case for new Grand Slam rules in Paris: five sets, no tiebreaker]( [Bills-Titans, Broncos-Patriots rescheduled after COVID-19 outbreaks]( [Lincicome, Tan share Women’s PGA Championship lead at third major of LPGA season]( [As election draws closer, the NBA continues calls to vote]( More than half of the NBA’s arenas, all of which would be otherwise sitting empty on election day, have either been registration-drive sites or will serve as polling locations — a player demand when the season was nearly called off in August because of more racial unrest. [Young English soccer lineup beats Wales in Wembley return]( [The Star]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Manage Your Email Preferences]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY]( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -